Wrench



W. F. MILLER.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-1.1921.

1,395,052. Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

. tioning one si UNITED STATES WALTER F. MILLER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

WRENCH.

Application filed February T 0 all whom it our concern:

Be it known that WVALTER F. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vrenches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in-' vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wrenches and has for its primary object the provision of a device of the above stated character which may be conveniently applied to nuts that have their wrench faces exposed and will efiiciently grip either hexagonal or square nuts without any liability of slipping.

Another object of this invention is the provision of ahandle having a cam and a pivoted hook shaped jaw adapted to cooperate with each other in gripping nuts of various sizes and to increase said gripping action on each size nut as the pull on the handle increases, thereby obviating any possible dan er of the wrench slipping or becoming accidentally disconnected from the nut, during the application or removal of the latter from a bolt or the like.

A further object of this invention is the pivotin of the jaw to the handle eccentrically o the cam so that the latter will force a nut into engagement with several faces of the jaw and permits the jaw and cam to on age the nut at one side of the longitu inal axis of the handle, thereby assuring a firm grip. on the nut.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a tension spring for positioning the jaw forwardly beyond its active position when disengaged from a nut, so that when applying a wrench to a nut by posie edge of the handle against the nut and moving the handle endwise, the

free end of said jawcatches on the nut and swings the-jaw into active position with the nut placed between the cam and jaw and in enga ement with several faces of the latter, there y obviatin the slow fin er adjustment of the wrenc to a nut w ich is necessary in ordinary wrench construction.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a spring seat on the handle for the spring to on age at all times and is of such a shape t at it will permit the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

1, 1921. Serial No. 441,578.

spring to maintain an even pressure on the aw when the latter is in any of its positions, thereby preventing an increased or decreased spring action on the jaw during the movements of the latter and obviates breaking of the spring by sudden changes in reslstances thereto.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a spring which always maintains the jaw in contact with the nut when once applied, thereby permitting a ratchet action of the wrench on the nut, consequently permitting a new grip to be obtained on the nut without removing the wrench from the nut.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a wrench of the above stated character which will be simple, durable,and efiicient, and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawin s in which:

igure 1 is a side elevation, illustrating a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the application of the wrench to a hexagonal nut,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, illustrating the connection of the jaw to the handle of the wrench and the location of the spring in respect to the handle and jaw,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevation, illustrating the spring bearing against the spring seat and the jaw,

Fig. 5 is a fra mentary front elevation illustrating the width of the jaw and the cam,

Fig. 6 is a fra menta-ry side elevation illustrating the app ication of the wrench to a square nut,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a modified form of my invention and also showing the same applied to a round article or pipe.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the

numeral 1 indicates a handle carrying at its ends wrench jaws of corresponding construction, but varying in size to permit the use of the wrench on a great number of nuts of different sizes. The jaws being of the same construction, reference in detail to one is thought sufficient for both.

The handle is flattened and slightly increased in width to form a jaw attaching portion 2 which has its end shaped to form a cam 3, the face 4 thereof may constitute a single are or several arcs. The cam is located at one side of the longitudinal axis of the handle 1 and the latter is provided with an aperture located at the opposite side of the longitudinal axis from that of the cam and also positioned rearwardly of the cam. The aperture receives a pivot pin 5 and owing to its location in the aperture, it is positioned eccentrically of said cam 3. A hook shaped jaw 6 includes a body portion 7 having an integral shank 8 which is bifurcated to receive a part of the jaw attaching portion 2 'of the handle and is provided with alining openings to receive the pivot pin 5. The jaw and cam are of substantially the same width as shown in Fig. 5 to facilitate the gripping of an article. The ends of the pivot pin 5 are headed after passing through the openings which prevents removal of the pin accidentally and consequently assures an efficient pivotal connection between said jaw and the handle which allows the jaw to swing freely in relation to the handle without any possible binding action. The jaw 6 is provided with nut engaging faces 9 and 10 that are angularly related. The nut enagin faces of the jaw and shank cooperate w1th the cam 3 in gripping nuts of different sizes and of hexagonal or square shape. The cam engages the nut at one side of the latter, while the jaw engages the nut at an opposite side from the cam and has one or more of its faces in contact with the nut, so that when a pull is made on the handle, the cam forces the nut against said jaw and consequently brings about a tight grip on the nut. Also the cam always contacts with the nut forwardly beyond the bisecting line of the nut which extends perpendicular to the face 10 of the jaw so as to assure a binding action on the nut by the cam and jaw when the handle is swung to turn the nut on or off of a'bolt.

A pin 12 is securedto the shank of the jaw 6 within its bifurcation for supporting thereon a torsion spring 13, that is, a spring which is constructed from a single length of resilient material and coiled about said pin and has one end disposed against the inner wall 14 of the bifurcation while the other end thereof continuously bears against and rides on a spring seat 15 formed on the jaw attaching portion 2 of the handle and which is located at an opposite side of the longitudinal axis of said handle from that of the cam 4 and also located rearwardly of said cam. The face of the spring seat is struck on an are which is arranged concentric to the pivot pin, so that an even tension will be exerted on the jaw while the latter is in any of its positions, consequently insuring an even pressure on the jaw at all times and obviates any chances of breaking or weakening the spring by increased contraction and expansion thereof that would be caused by an eccentric spring seat and the movement of the jaw. The spring 13 is entirely confined within the bifurcation of the shank and therefore is protected from striking against obstacles during the use or handling of the wrench which insures against injury thereto and permits the spring to last the life of the wrench. The spring 13 automatically positions the jaw 6 beyond an active position immediately on disengagement from a nut.

When applying the wrench, one side edge of the handle is placed against the nut and the handle moved endwise which brings the end of the jaw that protrudes beyond the side of the handle in engagement with said nut and on further movement of the handle, the jaw is swung on its pivot into active position with the nut positioned between the cam and one or more faces of the jaw and at one side of the longitudinal axis of the handle, so that on a turning movement of the handle in one direction, the nut is firmly gripped and a movement of the handle in a reverse direction from the direction last mentioned allows the jaw and cam to ratchet over the nut, so that a fresh grip may be obtained without the removal of the wrench from the nut.

The jaw being of hook-shape forms an open side jaw of a compact nature and the cam which cooperates with the jaw is rather short in length in comparison to the cam jaws now used in'wrenches of similar construction, thereby reducing the material required to construct both the cam and the jaw oversimilar tools and also facilitates the rapidity in which said parts may be made and the convenience in which the device may be usedin small spaces.

One end of the cam formsa stop for the jaw in one direction or beyond its initial nut engaging position, thereby preventing the free end of the jaw from contacting with one side of the handle and destroying the advantage obtained by the protrusion and spacing of the free end of the jaw from the handle and the other end of the cam.

Fig. 7 illustrates a modification of my invention, that is, the jaw 6 and cam 3 have their active faces serrated as shown at 16 to facilitate the gripping of round articles such as pipes when the wrench is used thereon.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination, and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A wrench comprising a handle having a short cam face at one of its ends and located wholly to one side of its longitudinal axis, an open sided jaw pivoted to said end of the handle at the opposite side of said axis, and a tension means for positioning the jaw forwardly beyond its active position when disengaged from a nut, said cam adapted to always engage the nut at one side of the plane transversely bisecting the nut and extending perpendicular to that active face of the jaw that engages the opposite flat of the nut.

2. A wrench comprising a handle having a cam at its end and located wholly to one side of its longitudinal axis, an open sided jaw having a bifurcated shank pivoted to the handle at the opposite side of said axis, and inwardly of the cam, a tension spring secured to and confined within the bifurcated shank, and a curved spring seat on the end of the handle for the spring to engage and ride on during the movement of the jaw into its various positions.

3. A wrench comprising a handle having a cam at its end and located wholly to one side of its longitudinal axis, an open sided jaw having a bifurcated shank pivoted to the handle at the opposite side of said axis, a tension spring secured and confined within the bifurcated shank, and a curved spring seat on the end of the handle and located inwardly of the cam for the spring to continuously engage and ride on during the movement of the jaw.

4. A wrench comprising a handle having a cam at its end and located wholly to one side of its longitudinal axis, an open sided jaw having a bifurcated shank pivoted to the handle at the opposite side of said axis, a tension spring carried by and located within the bifurcated shank, and a spring seat on the end of the handle and located inwardly of the cam and having a curved face for the spring to engage and ride on, said curved face being concentric to the pivotal connection of the jaw to the handle so that the spring will maintain a uniform pressure on the jaw when the latter is in any of its positions.

5. A wrench comprising a handle having a cam at its end and located wholly to one side of its longitudinal axis, an open sided jaw having a bifurcated shank pivoted to the handle at the opposite side of said axis, a pin secured within the bifurcated shank and located inwardly of the cam, a spring mounted on the pin and having one end bearing against the jaw, and a spring seat on the handle inwardly of the cam and having a curved face to be engaged by the other end of said spring and arranged concentric to the pivotal connection of the jaw to the handle.

6. A wrench comprising a handle, a cam at one end of the'handle and located at one side of the longitudinal axis of said handle and having a short active face extending from a plane substantially in parallelism with one edge of the handle to a plane in alinement with the longitudinal axis, and an open sided jaw pivoted to the handle at an opposite side of the longitudinal axis from the cam and having short active faces 00- operating with the cam in gripping nuts of different sizes and engagin the flats of the nuts, said cam engaging t e fiat of a nut at one side of the plane transversely bisecting said nut and extending perpendicular to that active face of the jaw that engages the opposite fiat of the nut.

7. A wrench comprising a handle having a cam face, a jaw pivoted to the handle, a curved spring seat arranged concentric to the pivotal connection of the jaw to the handle, and a spring engaging the jaw and seat..

8. A wrench comprising a handle having a cam face, a jaw pivoted to the handle, a curved spring seat arranged concentric to the pivotal connection of the jaw to the handle, and a spring confined wholly within the shank and bearing against the latter and the seat.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER F. MILLER.

Witnesses:

J. CLARENCE HOCHWALT, Gno. E. KELLER. 

